How Long do you think you'll Pay to Play PS?

[AcidCat]

First off I want to say that in the few weeks I've been playing, I've really been loving this game. Been rather addicted to it, in fact. Of course, I haven't yet paid a dime for the game, so for now everything is perfect.

Of course, Beta will soon be over. And we'll have to purchase the game, and then after whatever grace period they may give, pay every month to play it.

And after the excitement of a new game wears off a bit, you'll have to evaluate if it's worth it to you.

Personally, I have come to the conclusion that there simply isn't much to the game itself that justifies paying monthly. As I see it, this boils down to two main reasons:

After a couple weeks of play, leveling becomes largely meaningless. Once you reach BR10, you should have enough certs to do exactly what you want. Sure, more certs are nice to add some versatility to your character, and extra implants are useful, but that simply is nothing compared to leveling systems in MMORPG games. There is basically nothing you can do at BR20 that you can't do at BR5 - all you have is more versatility - instead of being JUST a combat engineer you can also fly a Galaxy and have Max loadouts and drive a Tank. Well, versatility is good, right? The flip side is it destroys the class system - at BR12 for example you could be a medium assault-medic-engineer-tank driver. The "jack of all trades" issue.

The other reason is the reptitive nature of the gameplay. After a while you realize you are just going through the motions of capturing and recapturing bases and towers, with maybe a little defending thrown in between. Bases and towers that all look exactly the same no matter what continent you're in.


Now I'm kind of being devil's advocate here, because as I said I am really enjoying the basic combat of this game, and the variety of empires and weapons and vehicles. But in a way I can also sense that PS can easily grow repetitive and tiresome in a couple months of play - it just doesn't seem to me to have the staying power of something like Everquest. There are just too many alternates for FPS fans that require no more investment than the purchase of the game itself. I really see most gamers purchasing PS playing for 2-3 months at most and then just moving onto something else once that initial excitement has passed.

[Omicron]

I am really looking forward to a couple months after retail. When outfits start to get organized, they get all the little bugs ironed out, and the true bottlenecks and battlelines are drawn. I can see this game becoming a 24/7 struggle... ahh that sounds so nice. True commanders will surface and giant battles will ensue. I would definitely give it a chance. The game has not come close to beggining. I have high hopes for this game and I haven't seen anything terribly negative to thwart those hopes

[AcidCat]

Indeed ... indeed. I could be rushing to judgement. I hope so in fact.

[Concrete]

I very much agree. Games like these dont do well pay for play because there is lack of high level content. It could turn into a tribes that br1-10 was the tutorial period. The monthly fee in these online games should be for expansions (content). Now I am not clear on PS's plans of patching after the game goes live. But unless there is a new gun/vehicle/cert a month or some reason to keep moving up, it could turn into just pvp like all other fps (very expensive compared)

[Concrete]

I very much agree. Games like these dont do well pay for play because there is lack of high level content. It could turn into a tribes that br1-10 was the tutorial period. The monthly fee in these online games should be for expansions (content). Now I am not clear on PS's plans of patching after the game goes live. But unless there is a new gun/vehicle/cert a month or some reason to keep moving up, it could turn into just pvp like all other fps (very expensive compared)

[zMessiahz]

Have you played any FPS for more then a few months? With the tone of your post I would guess that you find other FPS's even more repetative. Yet, at the same time you seem to not find RPG's repetative. This is the exact opposite of my opinion. The height of boredom is the leveling treadmill of an RPG. Those games truely end once you reach the "max" level. There is nothing left to do. Unless its like DAOC where you get to then go kill other players. At least you have something to do. However, that is pretty dull too since combat is so painfully slow. At least with PS you are fighting real time with no concept of "combat rounds" or silly crap like that, and against other players. Thats where the spice will come in. You might fight over the same base 100 times, but the tactics the enemy uses, the skill level on the enemy, how well your squad reacts... these will all change. Thus each battle will change.

I most certainly will pay for this game. Unless the unthinkable happens and they do not fix the current lag and disconnect issues. Or they pull a T2 and screw everyone's frame rates up.

[Concrete]

That is a good point, but as people from AC2 will tell you, thats not all its cracked up to be. We leveled, we got maxed out, now we pvp, and though the battles change; it is still getting boring and repetitious. The smile from taking an enemy area last less and less as long. People will not pay monthly to play "tribes" unless the content is growing. Thats just how i feel ofcourse. still love the game.

[LesserShade]

Well.. I'd imagine I'll play it until it's not fun anymore. At that point, i'll probably still pay 2 play after that for a few months because automatic subscription renewals are dangerous and I always forget to turn them off.

[Cyanide]

I imagine i'll pay for atleast one of the longest chunks of time i can. If they do it so that you can buy 6 months or a year at a time i'll pay that way if it's discounted.

Personally i don't think the game lacks incetinve to play it. It's a fun game, even after BR20. You can't judge it just yet because there are still plenty of things to be implimented. VoiceIP, some new CR abilities, etc. They also have already said that they will be adding new content to the game after release. That IS what the monthly fee is for. They will be adding new armors, weapons, vehicles, etc. That is straight from smokejumper btw.

I personally don't need a class system to enjoy the game. That's one of the things i like about this game and dislike about RPGs. If you have to be too specialized then eventually you end up with exact set leveling paths to eventually attain the best possible character atributes for that class. In PS you can do what you want. It's versital so you don't get stuck going in one direction because you spent your first cert on something that you later found out was worthless or you don't really like. The fun of this game is in the battling not the leveling. If you want RPG gameplay you should find other games because PS is NOT, i repeat NOT, and never will be an RPG!

[AcidCat]

Originally posted by zMessiahz
Have you played any FPS for more then a few months? With the tone of your post I would guess that you find other FPS's even more repetative.

No, I have played FPS games for months on end, Battlefield 1942 I've played since the demo. My point more ties in with the fact that PS requires a monthly fee. What am I paying for? is the question everyone has to ask. Is it worth it just so that a game doesn't have "rounds" that begin or end? That seems kind of irrelevent, because a "round" in Planetside is just longer, it lasts from when you log on until when you log off - there is no practical difference. More players? Surely, but how many are you actually ever fighting at any given moment? I like having a consistent character, definitely, but is that worth paying every month?

Like I said, just playing devil's advocate. I'm still enjoying the game very much.

[Unknown]

For me, the game essentially just has to be at least as fun as my other current favorite games to keep me playing. As for pay to play, the devs say they will be continually adding content after release, so as long as the game is fun, and they keep adding new content, then I can see myself playing this game 1 or maybe even 2 years into the future. Possibly even more.

[BeerJedi]

reminds me, i need to turn a couple off.

I think a lot will change when PS goes retail. For one, more players. Two, some features will be activated, like platoons.

We've got a little less than a month of testing left. There is room for adjustment. the PS team is doing an excellent job of tweaking the game.

I'll definitely play for 3 months. And the game play in retail will be shaping up by then. People will emerge as great pilots or great leaders or damn good infantry.

I think we'll see a lot of tank columns escorting AMS/Ants. The platoon feature will allow squads to link up and work together, instead of solo, allowing for broader attacks. Not just a single galaxy or sunderer carting people by their lonesome.

Example: Platoon = 3 squads.

1. First Squad - Mech Squad - 2 heavy tanks and 2 light buggies (two man crew) or even 4 lightenings or 2 lightenings and one light buggy. - see, major possibility even here
2. Second Squad - Ground troops - Riding in a sunder - 1 driver - 2 maxs 2 gunners 4 troops (2 heavy, 1 AV, 1 hacker)
3. Third Squad - Air Support - 2 Reavers, 2 mesquitos 1 Galaxy with 5 troops for hot drop.

Now this Platoon is all together. That is one nice force to be able to coordinate. For example.

2 mesquitos AB through the base zone for quick scout.

Lead any enemy air away from the base. the 2 Reavers follow in behind to attack AA positions that just revealed themselves shooting at mosquitos.

2 min mark.

(we'll be TR for this)

2 Prowlers begin the assault and start takin' fire, 5 secs later, sunderer heads for base with harasser escort. Lightenings are working with two Prowlers takin' out everything. As sunderer approaches the south gate, Galaxy ABs in toward Central rooftop for hot drop of 5 troops.

Sunderer unloads all troops (including gunners) and harasser crew disembarks.

So we have 12 troops on the ground, 5 on the roof, 4 air craft patrolling and 4 tanks.

All about to share same EXP and such as they're all in same platoon.

Now that sounds like fun.

[AcidCat]

Originally posted by Cyanide
The fun of this game is in the battling not the leveling.

Then what is the difference between this and any other free to play FPS where the fun is in the battling? Leveling seems to be an integral part of any MMO game.

Though I must admit adding new armors and weapons would definitely keep me interested .. I just wonder how long we'll have to wait between getting new stuff.

[Determinado]

i guess you peepz don't really get it, this is NOT a game for those who like MMORPG and not fps games like Operation Flashpoint,
because, this IS operation flashpoint!
The only thing that happens is that instead of a max of 64 players you have 40k (well lets start at 10k and after some patches 30k perhaps) and offcourse, the massively stuff, it's ment to make a continent only known after some weeks of playing (every day 4 hours, that times about 20 times then you know continent a bit) and the damned teamwork! The developers are so smart in planetside; they FORCE people to do teamwork, making outfits available, platoons, and the lone wolf would be the baddest player in PS.

So, you wanna take a look at DAOC and then at PS?
Ok...
DAOC: No real enemies or PvP (lets say, 1on1 - 5on5)
PS: Always real enemies, no bots, and no 1on1 (wich sux)
DAOC: Not massive terrain, loads between 'm
PS: Very massivly terrain, 8x8km
DAOC: Co-operation...
PS: Co-operation versus other people who co-operate!
DAOC: Nothing new, call this diablo if you want
PS: Mixes elements: Massively + Tactical FPS (operation flashpoint) + Tribes-alike vehicles + Class-system + weather system (tho not mentioned much, this is gonna rock!) + UT2k3-alike weapons (i don't like that too much, but it aint bad i guess) + certain leveling system with XP + certifications make you not always take any vehicle you wanna go for, makes you play with vehicles you've chosen 'wrong' and so learn to work with 'm, maybe you don't want that stupid galaxy anymore

Thats just PS man, operation flashpoint but without vehicle lags, and much more massive and teamwork-based(forced).
The thing is, when you don't know how to co-operate, you'll learn it right now, cuz you won't be paying for a game you don't want to like iight?
Conclusion: PS ownz y000!
THIS IS A NEXT GENERATION SHOOTER DAMNED!
NOT GRAPHICS CHANGE VERY MUCH, INSTEAD GAMEPLAY IS AFFECTED BY MIXING EVERYTHING A GAMER WANTS!

[Baron Fett]

Will this game get boring?hmm, hard to say how long. Think about it, even when you become a Jack-of-all-trades i wouldn't exactly call it a problem because think of HALO, that game has to be the best I've played and in my opinion is the best (untill this beta came out anyways, you can use everything in that game, no specializations. Every player can use the same stuff/vehicles and it's just pure skill. Still, even though i got bored of such awesome looking games like mechassault after a few months of 10:30pm to 4:00am gaming, Planetside will definitely last long as unbalanced stuff is no where to be found while it ran rampant in Mechassault (why am i comparing this to that piece of shit?). Well, thats my 25cents